Perspectives of contraceptive choices for men.

Apart from condoms and vasectomy, which have several limitations of their own, no other methods of contraception are available to men. Various chemical, hormonal, vas based and herbal contraceptives have been examined and few of them have reached the stage of clinical testing. Promising leads have been obtained from testosterone buciclate/undecanoate, alone or in combination with levonorgestrel butanoate or cyproterone acetate, RISUG, an injectable intravasal contraceptive and a few herbal products, particularly the seed products of Carica papaya. It is feasible that an ideal male contraceptive, that meets out all the essential criteria will be made available to the community in the near future.

Role of thyroidal and testicular hormones in regulation of tissue respiration in male air-breathing fish, Clarias batrachus (Linn.).

In vivo and in vitro effects of thyroidal hormones (MIT, DIT, T3, T4), propyl thiouracil (PTU), testosterone and cyproterone acetate were studied on the rate of tissue (liver, muscle, kidney and brain) respiration of adult male C. batrachus during winter and summer/rainy seasons. Monoiodotyrosine (MIT) and diiodothyrosine (DIT) increased the respiratory rate in a dose-dependent and temperature-independent manner. Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) stimulated tissue respiration during summer/rainy months but not during winter. PTU decreased tissue respiration during summer/rainy season and also at simulated low temperature. Testosterone invariably stimulated the rate of respiration of the tissues, while in vivo treatment with cyproterone acetate significantly decreased the metabolic rate of all the tissues. The findings suggest that in C. batrachus MIT and DIT may be more important than T3 and T4 at low temperature, endogenous thyroid hormones are involved indirectly in energy metabolism even during winter/at low temperature and testicular hormones are actively involved in the respiration.

comparison between the effects of hypophysectomy and cyproterone acetate on the adrenal medulla chromaffin cells of the mouse

The effects of reduction in the glucocorticoid secretion on the adrenomedullary chromaffin cells of the mouse were studied through hypophysectomy and cyproterone acetate [CA] administration. The latter drug is reported to have a pronounced ACTH suppressive effect and to interfere with steroid biosynthesis. There was no evidence of a change in the proportion of epinephrine - storing [E] and nonepinephrine storing [NE] cells in the adrenal medulla of hypophysectomized mice or CA-treated animals. In hypophysectomized animals, the norepinephrine [NE] showed a significant Increase in content and proportion. This was attributed - to a significant decrease in the epinephrine [E] content of these animals. The adrenal glands of CA-treated animals did not show any significant change in NE content, although a significant increase in the NE proportion of the total catecholamine was observed. This was again attributed to the significant decrease in the E content of CA animals. The ultrastructural changes showed the presence of both E and NE granules in the same cell. In addition, many cells showed marked reduction in their secretory granules and appear similar to sympathetic neurons. The reversibility of these changes following cessation of CA - treatment suggests that they represented temporary metabolic changes rather than a process of dedifferentiation of these cells